One conventional refrigerator configuration uses a forced air/condenser arrangement to provide air cooling to at least one compartment of an insulated refrigerator cabinet. The cooling is for an entire compartment. In the case of multiple compartments, the paradigm is similar—the forced air/condenser cooling is controlled by conventional means to provide targeted temperature for the different compartments; but for each full compartment. Everything in the compartment would be subject to that basic controlled temperature.
There are significant benefits to having more specifically targeted temperature controlled areas within the larger compartment or overall cabinet of the refrigerator. For example, some differences in temperature for meats or cheeses may be desirable as opposed to the rest of a refrigerated food compartment. Another example could be the desire to make ice at subfreezing temperatures outside of the freezer compartment, if the refrigerator has one. This presents issues for conventional forced air/condenser cooling. Routing cooling air to multiple sub-areas inside a refrigerated compartment has functional and practical limitations for mass-market type refrigerators. Size, cost, and other factors bear on that issue.
Additionally, it can be desirable and beneficial to allow a refrigerator to be reconfigurable or convertible. By that, it is meant that a need has been identified in the art to allow custom temperature control for areas within the cabinet and to allow those custom controlled areas to be selected by the user or consumer. Again, routing cooling air to changeable locations presents practical issues, particularly in mass market refrigerator appliances.